PUR removal Germany Vintage 2023, 2024 Documentazione completa General Methodology v2.0

Carbon Cycle, 001, Rieden, DE

PUR-511285 ↗

5.0 / 10

Integrity

5.2

Transparency

5.0

Claim Safety

4.6

Documentation

5.4

Score Breakdown

Integrity

verified The verification report (2024) confirms additionality using an investment test.

missing The verification report (2024) flags multiple corrective actions affecting LCA inputs (transport distances, dry weight, infrastructure emissions), weakening confidence in baseline/net removal integrity.

Transparency

verified The verification report (2024) identifies the VVB (bio.inspecta AG) and specifies the monitoring period (2023-10-01 to 2024-08-31).

missing The extracted record does not provide claimed vs verified removal totals, and leakage treatment is not documented.

Claim Safety

verified The project is assessed under Puro.earth General Rules 3.1 and Annex A Biochar Methodology (version 3.1), providing a defined accounting framework.

missing Corrective actions in the verification report (2024) relate to emissions-sensitive parameters (transport, infrastructure), increasing over-crediting/greenwashing risk until closed.

Documentation

verified A recent verification report is available (dated 2024-12-01) with an identified VVB and no material findings reported.

missing Evidence document labeling is weak in the extracted record (evidence docs listed as “unknown”), and several key fields are not found (buffer, reversals, leakage deduction, grievance/FPIC).

Detailed Analysis

Integrity

The verification report (2024) confirms additionality via an investment test, which supports additionality robustness. However, the same verification report lists corrective actions requiring rectification of dry weight, transport distances, customer addresses for distance verification, and potential under-reporting of infrastructure emissions due to lifetime capacity assumptions—issues that can materially change net removals. Leakage is not addressed in the extracted record and no leakage deduction is reported, which is a notable integrity gap for a biochar supply chain with transport emissions.

Transparency

The verification report (2024) provides clear third-party involvement (bio.inspecta AG) and a defined monitoring period (2023-10-01 to 2024-08-31). At the same time, the extracted record does not include total removals claimed or verified, preventing a basic cross-check of issuance quantities. Several MRV-relevant items (usage monitoring method, leakage deduction, and key accounting parameters) are not found in the extracted record, reducing transparency.

Claim Safety

Because the project follows Puro.earth General Rules 3.1 and the Biochar Methodology (Annex A), the accounting approach is at least anchored to a recognized program framework. Claim safety is weakened by the verification report’s (2024) corrective actions on parameters that directly affect net climate benefit (transport distances, dry weight, infrastructure emissions), which elevates the risk of over-crediting if credits were issued before corrections. CORSIA eligibility and CCP status are not stated in the extracted record, leaving uncertainty about how claims might be interpreted in higher-integrity buyer contexts.

Documentation

A recent verification report is present (2024-12-01) and identifies the VVB, and the extracted record indicates no material findings reported. However, multiple key fields are not found (buffer pool, reversals, leakage deduction, FPIC, grievance mechanism), and the evidence document list is not specific (shown as “unknown”), which limits auditability from the extracted package. Extraction confidence is medium, which is acceptable but still suggests some caution in relying on completeness.

Overall

Overall quality is mid-range: additionality is VVB-confirmed in the verification report (2024), but the project’s net removal quantification appears sensitive to unresolved corrective actions on LCA inputs (transport distances, dry weight, infrastructure emissions). No contradictions were identified in the extracted record, so no cross-document discrepancies needed resolution; the main limitation is missing/unspecified data rather than conflicting data. If documentation remains incomplete or corrective actions are not demonstrably closed, integrity and claim safety should be treated conservatively (note: if documentation were scored below 3.0, transparency would be capped by the gate rule; if integrity were below 4.0, overall would be capped at 6.0).

Audit Analysis

This Puro biochar removal project has VVB-confirmed additionality via an investment test, but key integrity elements (leakage treatment, permanence/buffer approach, and quantified verified removals) are not clearly evidenced in the extracted record. The verification report lists multiple corrective actions focused on LCA inputs (dry weight, transport distances, infrastructure emissions), which raises over-crediting risk until resolved.

Project Description

Carbon Cycle is an innovative, privately owned agricultural company based in south-eastern Germany. The company's goal is to produce high-quality biochar, which offers solutions to modern agriculture problems. The product has many benefits; the loss of nutrients and nitrate leaching is reduced, the use of fertilizers is considerably reduced, groundwater is protected, and soil fertility is sustainably improved. The production of one ton of high-quality biochar results in 2.86 tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide becoming firmly bound for centuries enabling the responsible farmer to make an important contribution to climate and environmental protection. Carbon Cycle sells its biochar to the farming industry in several EU countries. The biochar has been approved as a soil additive and as animal feed. Carbon Cycle holds the European certificate of sustainably produced biochar (EBC). The cascade usage of biochar in agriculture begins with the feeding of ÖKO FEED biochar and ÖKO TERR for the litter. Animal health and welfare are improved, and the biochar becomes loaded with liquid manure, which becomes a valuable natural fertilizer when applied to the soil. Untreated wood chips locally sourced from PEFC certified forests are used as feedstock for the biochar. Each tonne of biochar sequesters 2.86 tonnes of CO2. Using the O-molar ratio from the product analysis, the carbon content's stability can be accurately measured. Carbon Cycle has been issued with CORC's by the Puro marketplace in accordance with the strict Puro methodology for biochar production. All lifecycle emissions are considered. The facility and certifications have been third-party verified ex-post.

Red Flags

Verification report (2024) requires corrective actions on core LCA drivers (dry weight, transport distances, infrastructure emissions), indicating potential overstatement of removals if not corrected.
Leakage is not addressed in the extracted record and no leakage deduction is reported, despite logistics being a material emissions source for biochar systems.
No verified removal total is available in the extracted record, limiting confidence in issued/claimable quantities.

Credit Vintages Exhausted

	Issued	Retired
2020	441	441
2021	1,336	1,336
2022	618	618
2023	331	331
2024	1,556	1,556
2025	855	855
Total	5,137	5,137

Cosa migliorerebbe questo punteggio

Provide the updated LCA and explicit closure evidence for each corrective action in the verification report (2024), including corrected dry weight, verified transport distances (with customer addresses), and revised infrastructure emissions assumptions.
Disclose quantified results (total removals claimed and verified for the monitoring period) and document leakage treatment (deduction percentage or justified negligible leakage) consistent with the Puro biochar methodology.

Questi suggerimenti indicano quali prove pubbliche aggiuntive potrebbero migliorare il livello di confidenza di questa valutazione. Non garantiscono un punteggio futuro più alto.